Of Roads Less Traveled By
by theforgetfulalchemist
Summary: Fifty years after The Lightning Thief, Percy says goodbye to an old enemy.


_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.- Robert Frost_

Cicadas blared in the midsummer heat, piercing the silence of the deserted camp.

Everyone was eating lunch at the pavilion, but a small white car rumbled up the hill and through the grass to park in front of the blue manor house.

A man in his early sixties, gray streaking his black hair, got out, stretched and smiled.

Over his clean plaid shirt was a necklace strung with beads that he clutched in his hands, fingers rubbing the first bead etched with a trident.

A small boy ran past him, running to catch up with his cabin, and called

"Hello, Mr. Jackson!"

Percy waved pleasantly and made his way up the steps of the manor.

Someone was already on the porch, sitting at a table playing cards and sipping a soft drink.

"And here I hoped you weren't going to come, Johnson." the figure grumbled.

"Hello, Dionysus." Percy said, pulling out a wicker porch chair and joining him. "And please, Mr. D, I'm not one of your campers anymore. You can stop pretending not to know my name."

Dionysus gulped down a mouthful of soda with a glare.

"You'll always be one of my campers, Jackson. One of my most annoying campers. Top two, you and Chase."

Percy laughed. "We were pretty bad, weren't we? Didn't we break the record for most kitchen duty in one summer our senior year?"

"You still hold the record." Dionysus informed him.

"I swear we didn't _mean_ to lead that manticore into camp."

"Likely story." Dionysus huffed, though his subdued tone made it obvious it had been forgotten. He glanced at his watch.

"Almost time." he muttered. "Drink?"

"Please."

A tall glass of soda appeared in front of Percy and he drank.

"Speaking of my two biggest headaches, how _is_ the wife?" Dionysus asked.

"Annabeth's great. She's waiting in the car, we're going to look around camp together later. She misses this place. So do I."

Dionysus snorted. "I wont, once I'm out of here. Good riddance to these brats, I say."

Percy smirked. "I think you will."

"My dolphin offer still stands, you know." Dionysus growled.

"Okay, Okay." Percy laughed. "But seriously, I bet you miss Olympus. You must miss your wife a lot."

Dionysus look monetarily pained.

"Yes, I suppose I do from time to time."

He looked at his watch again. "Still some time to go. You still play pinochle?"

"Of course."

Dionysus conjured a deck of cards and started dealing.

"You should have said yes, you know." Dionysus said abruptly.

"Hm?" Percy answered, taking stock of his hand.

"When dad offered you godhood. It's a good deal. You would have loved it."

"I would have been miserable." Percy corrected. "And I'm grateful every day my younger self was not so arrogant as to take it."

Dionysus shook his head. "I just don't understand mortals sometimes."

"You should. You were one."

Dionysus sighed. "That was so long ago, I think I've forgotten what it's like."

"Let me put it to you this way. Last month, my youngest granddaughter was born. She has my eyes. I wouldn't trade that feeling for all the eternal life in the world."

Dionysus checked his watch again. "Getting close. Well, you were always a funny kid, Jackson. You could have been so much more. You could have _had_ so much more."

"I have everything I need, Mr. D."

Dionysus rose and stuck out his hand. "Not much longer now. For what it's worth, Jackson...I'm proud of you."

Percy shook his hand, grinning. "I don't think you've ever said that to anyone before."

Percy was momentarily distracted by the cabins being lead from lunch to afternoon activities and when he looked back the wicker seat opposite was empty and a few cards blew in the wind around a half-empty glass.

Percy sighed heavily. He pushed his chair in and began to descend the porch stairs, before he looked back.

He could see himself on that porch fifty years ago, a small, scared twelve year old. A story to comfort boys who lost their mothers, Dionysus had said. _You could have been so much more._

"Goodbye, Mr. D. I hope you enjoy being on Olympus again. I hope you got what you wanted. I know I did."

And he walked back to the car where his wife, his life, and his choices, waited for him.

_A/N: I just wanted to do a short story about Dionysus' punishment ending and being recalled to Olympus. I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what you think, if you want, and have an awesome summer!_


End file.
